The enormous Los Angeles estate of Brad Pitt was also the residence of another individual- more than what the actor anticipated. The 59-year-old Academy Award winner had purchased the huge 1.9-acre property in 1994 from Cassandra Peterson- the star of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark- for $1.7 million.
He lived in it for 30 straight years before he sold it for a whopping $40 million in March. In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Peterson opened up about how she sold this home to the actor- and how the actor himself ended up with an elderly tenant on the property without any prior information. This situation actually cropped up because Pitt was expanding the footprint of the estate. The actress mentioned, “I think there were like 22 houses that were contiguous to the edge of the property. And every time they came up he bought one.” Since one of those properties belonged to a 90-year-old man, the actor made a deal that would allow him to stay in his home.
Cassandra Peterson mentioned, “He was very, very kind to the husband. His wife passed away and the husband, John, lived there. I know that Brad allowed him to live there without paying anything until he died.” This arrangement ended up being quite hilarious, for “John lived to be 105.” The actress further joked that John lived like an immortal, adding, “I imagine Brad was thinking well, you know, he can live there till he dies, which might be any minute now.” Peterson also became Brad Pitt’s neighbor, for she bought a house next door after she sold him the property that she lived in previously.
Brad Pitt’s Property Had A 105-Year-Old Tenant Living Rent-Free
Cassandra Peterson recalls a particular moment when she saw Brad Pitt and almost fainted seeing him. This was during the time the star was preparing for his role in Fight Club. Cassandra mentioned, “I go past Brad’s garage and he’s in there wearing only sweatpants. He’s got on boxing gloves and he is punching a bag. I swear I almost fainted, […] remember he goes, ‘Hey, how are you?’ and I’m like, ‘Huh?’ I couldn’t talk […] was turning red. I felt like I was fainting. He’s just so stunningly, stunningly handsome — and nice, to top it off.” This was the same home where Pitt and his ex-wife Angelina Jolie raised their children- Maddox, Zahara, Pax, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne- which was sold in an off-market deal the previous month.
Cassandra Peterson also spoke about how having Brad Pitt in the neighborhood would often leave Peterson’s friends shell-shocked. She stated, “One of my favorite stories […] in a little restaurant down at the bottom of the street there, and I had a little meeting for a fundraiser for my child’s school. I was there with about four or five other moms, and we were sitting there having coffee, and all of a sudden I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and it’s Brad. He goes, ‘Cassandra!’ and he gives me a big hug. I’ve gotta tell you, these other mothers I was with, their mouths were hanging open and they could not shut their mouths. Living next to him was a great experience.”
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Sources
- “Brad Pitt Let His 105-Year-Old Neighbor Live on His $40M Former L.A. Estate Rent Free, Says Elvira” People. April 6, 2023.